Towel cabinet



July 8, 1941.-

J. Rousso 2,248,388

TOWEL CABINET ,Filed Jan. :51, 193s' `2` Sheets-sheet 1 z A jgqf. 7. 1.

July 8, 1941. J, ROUSSQ '2,248,388

TOWEL CAINET Filed J'an. 31, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented July 8, 1941 ,Si omc-E- TOWEL CABINET v v Jacquesn'Rousso, Los Angeles,Ca1if."v Application .January 31, 193s, seriaiNo. .187,853

' 9, Claims. (cran-3.7i

Other objects and advantages will appear andA be brought out more fully inthe following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Fig. 1*-is a front view :partly broken away, showing a towel cabinet involving my invention;

Fig. .2 is a sectionalelevationtaken 'along the line 2-2'of Fig.l1;' i

line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l3 is a'fragmentarysection taken `along the Fig. 4 is' an enlarged View partlylin section showing the retaining rod and associated parts; Fig. 5 is a plan section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevation partly in section illustrating .the retaining rcdlock;

Fig. 7 vis a ltop View taken along the line 1--1 of Fig. 4; l

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of Fig; 4;

Fig. 9 is a `bottom view taken 'along the line 9--9 of Fig. 4;

lar;

Fig. 11 is a side view of the'retaining rod;

Fig. 12 isa view ofthe key for the lock collar;

Fig. Y13 is a view-of thekey for the lock shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6; and

Fig. 14 'is an' enlarged view showingfthe ylower end of the guide rod, the 'lockt collar, and a portion `of the used towels. f

Referring more particularly to 'the drawings, I show -a towel fcabinet 'or rack i'2li having a vertical frame portion 2|, a hopper 22 .having abase 23 on which a retaining plate 24 is suitably secured, the plate having .an Aelongated'slot 25 positioned over `an enlarged aperture l26 in lbase Y23. Arshelf 2 :is secured to .frame 2| near the upper portion thereof and is .provided with an aperture 28 adapted to receive a lock housing 29,thelock housing being-secured to shelf 21 by a retaining plate `Sii in' which :is located `a rectangular-.raperturen3| which-is adapted to receive the rectangular latch end portion 132 lof :a rigid retainingxrod Fig. 10 is a separatefsideview of the lock-col- Y by a key 4I.

" Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, there- 33 form-inglla part, displaceable or removable .section'Y of la' guide.rod,-or member, extending lbetween Vthe 'shelf andhopper as will be later de-y scribed, :a stop collar forming a towel retaining abutmerrt y34 ybeing ysecured-to roel 33 adjacent en'dpcrtion 32 and-plate 30 onthe shelf 21 when theaa'd'jacent rectangular latch end portion 32 'of thelretaining rod 33 .is anchored and locked in the lock .housing 29 secured to the shelf' 2lV bythe retainingplate 3:9 and. thus to the shelf V2l.

The fonegonigstructure" is .such that when the end 32 of thewrod'f33 is positioned in 'the lock housing 29,: through aperture 3|, the rod'f33 prevented from turning in the lock. Member 32 is :provided with a locking abutment 35 and cam surface 3E, 'the llatter being adapted to coact with a lock latch 31 having va cam sur-face38 and guide arms 39, and Ibiased by spring taining rod 33 is shown as having a plurality of towels 42 secured thereto, each towel having a grommet'. 43 providedJ with'an aperture 44 Aby whichit. isretained to :the rod"l 33. Rod 33 has a locking/groove adjacent'itsfupper end, and also a' threaded recess or .socket '46 land atapered end portion "f4.1, A 'lockingv collar 48 '(Fi'g.v 10) consists'ofza hanged lower disc 49 rand an upperV hanged-dhd50, disc 49 V:having a ilared ,aperturel 5l and disc 50 having a ared aperture 52." Within thespace formed by discs 49' and 5i! is a lock unitT'FigsR-'Qi `comprising .a bearing block 153' suitably ,secured within and to disc 49, block n53- being adapted to provide bearing seats or spaced recesses 54 for a pair ,of lock arms or'tumb1ers55 whichin vimi-n have arcuate vor lconcavo convex portions .56 adapted to engage'locking groove 45 and .extension `operating arms v5'l adapted to be separated 'bya key58, a key slot r59 being providedin fdiscx :and a key :guide aperture 60 in disc .49.. 1A pair of springs `y6l are suitably secured to block .f5.3 `and :are adapted to ,press'lock arms 55 together. Ther guide member or means includ'es the retaining rod or :removable section or portion-33 fand a guide rod 62, and said guide member .or means extends between the horizontal .support orshelf 2l 'and' the hopper 22, and as illustrated, extends into the .hopper to the base or' bottom 23 thereof through which it is adapted to be anchoredand held against turning as will nowfbe described. The guide rod l62 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 14) iis shown as 'having a i'lat sided end portion-63 adapted to be passed through the elongated slot25 in plate 214 and through aperture in a manner to prevent lturni-ngo'f the rod there-1 y40 'and operable' in. A retaining collar 64 is secured to rod 62 a short distance from the lower end thereof and prevents the towels from being removed from the guide rod at the end 63. The upper end of rod 62 terminates in a goose neck 65 having a threaded end 66 for coupling with threaded recess 46 of retaining rod 33.

The operation of the invention should be apparent from the foregoing description. A supply of towels 42, definite in number, for instance fifty or one hundred, will be delivered from the laundry mounted on a rigid retaining rod 33 with the lock collar 48 locked to groove 45. Rod 33 can then be easily joined to the threaded end 66 of guide rod B2 and the end portion 63 of rod 62 slipped into place in slot 25 and the latch end portion 32 of rod 33 secured in lock housing 29. Collar 48 is thereupon released from'groove 4-5 and passed upwardly around goose Vneck 65 and permitted to drop into hopper 22 adjacent collar 64 (Fig. 14). The towels may now be used in the ordinary manner, and when all have been used, they are returned to rod 33 and lock collar 48 locked into groove 45. The lower end 32 of rod 33 may now be released from lock 29 and rod 33 unscrewed from guide rod 62. II'he towels may now be returned to the laundry without the necessity of counting and with the certainty that all which were delivered are being returned, and a fresh supply substituted in the same manner.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be Vlimited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchi variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a towel rack of the `class described, a xedly mounted lock housing and key operated lock therein, and a hopper for used towels, a rigid guide'means for towels extending from said lock housing into said hopper to prevent displacement of the towels for misuse, said guide means having a section detachably connected to and bodily removable from the remainder of the guide l means and lock housing, and adapted to hold a plurality of clean towels, and means for locking the towels on said removable section for transportation to and from a laundry.

2. In a towel rack of the class described, a xf edly mounted lock housing and key'operated lock therein, and a hopper for used towels, a rigid guide means for towels extending from said lock housing into said hopper to prevent displacement of the towels for misuse, said guide means having a section detachably connected at one end to said lock housing and at the other end to the end of the adjacent section of the guide means, and means for locking the towels on said detachable section for transportation to and from a laundry.

3. A towel rack of the class described, including a shelf for clean towels and a hopper for the used towels, in combination with a rigid guide means extending upwardly from said shelf and then downwardly into said hopper, said guide means having a section detachably connected to and bodily removable from the remainder of said means, and means for locking a plurality of towels on said removable section for transportation to and from a laundry.

4. A towel rack of the class described, including a shelf for clean towels and a hopper for the used towels, in combination with a guide means extending upwardly from said shelf and then downwardly into said hopper, said guide means being rigid throughout its extent and having a terminal section detachably connected at one end to said shelf and at the other end to the end of the adjacent section of the guide means, and means for locking a plurality of towels on said detachable terminal section for transportation to and from a laundry.

5. A towel rack of the class described, including a shelf for clean towels and a hopper for the used towels, in combination with a rigid guide means extending upwardly from said shelf and then downwardly into said hopper, said guide means comprising a main section and a detachable terminal section, a threaded connection between the adjacent ends of said sections, the terminal section having a non-circular lower end, a non-circular socket in said shelf to receive said lower end of the terminal section, and means for locking a plurality of towels on said terminal section for transportation to and from a laundry.

6. A towel rack of the class described including a shelf for clean towels and a hopper for the used towels, in combination with a guide means extending upwardly from` said shelf and then downwardly into said hopper, said guide means comprising a main section and a detachable terminal section, a threaded connection between the adjacent ends of said sections, the terminal section having a non-circular lower end, a noncircular socket in said shelf to receive said lower end of the terminal section, the end of the guide means within the hopper being non-circular and there being a corresponding socket in the hopper to receive the same, and means for locking a plurality of towels on said terminal section for transportation to and from a laundry.

7 A towel rack of the class described, including a shelf for clean towels and a hopper for the used towels, in combination with a guide means extending upwardly from said shelf and then downwardly into said hopper, said guide means comprising a main section and a detachable terminal section, a threaded connection between the adjacent ends of said sections, said terminal section having a non-circular lower end, a non-circular socket in said shelf to receive said lower end of the terminal section, an abutment on said terminal section above said non-circular end, and a locking collar on the upper end of said section adapted when in place thereon to lock a plurality of towels on the terminal section for removal, andV when released, to slide on to the main section of the guide means to permit the towels to be moved from the shelf to the hopper.

8. A towel rack of the class described, including a shelf for clean towels and a hopper for the used towels, in combination with a guide means extending upwardly from said shelf and then downwardly into said hopper, said guide rod comprising a main section and a terminal section, a threaded connection between the adjacent ends of said sections, said terminal section having a non-circular lower end, a non-circular socket in said shelf to receive said lower end of the terminal section, an abutment on said terminal section above said non-circular end, and a locking collar on the upper end of said section adapted when in place thereon to lock a plurality of towels on the terminal section for removal, and when released, to slide on to the main section of the guide means to permit the towels to be moved from the shelf to the hopper, said collar having a key operated tumbler and a groove in said terminal section to receive said tumbler.

9. A towel rack of the class described, including a shelf for clean towels and a hopper for the used towels, in combination with a guide means extending upwardly from said shelf and then downwardly into said hopper, said guide means comprising a main section and a detachable terminal section, a threadedconnection between the adjacent ends of said sections, said terminal section having a non-circular lower end, a non-circular socket in said shelf to receive said lower end of terminal section, a locking device on said shelf adapted to lock the terminal section thereto when said non-circular end is moved into said socket, an abutment on said terminal section above said non-circular end and a locking collar on the upper end of said section adapted when in place thereon to lock a plurality of towels on said section, and to slide on to the main section of the guide means-to permit the towels to be moved from the shelf to the hopper.

JACQUES ROUSSO. 

